LINGAYEN–About 50 percent of farmland or about 91,00 hectares, devoted to rice production have remained idle due to the prolonged dry spell.

Jose Almendares, provincial agriculturist, told local newsmen Monday that the situation is a result of the lack of rainfall and lack of irrigation water from the source for the tail end areas.

“It’s 50-50 as of Friday,” he said, referring to the planted and unplanted areas.

“Our problem now is when the next rainfall will come,” he added.

He said those who were able to plant last May had covered a total area of about 87,000 hectares.

He said the irrigation facilities that have been rehabilitated do not have enough water to reach the service areas.

He, however, clarified that there is no expected production loss because the remaining 91,000 hectares can still planted on within the month as rains are expected.

“The province is producing more than the required and by this time, we have harvested so much rice, enough to sustain the requirement for the province and we can even support other provinces’ requirement,” he said.

Rice production in the province is already at pegged at 16 million cavans, enough for the province’s consumption, he said.

“The seedlings and seedbeds that were prepared can still be planted provided that there will be rain and underground irrigation for shallow tube well,” he added.

He said he will recommend the planting of corn instead of preparing another seedbed of palay if very little or no rain comes.

He said farmers who insist on planting now will have to risk depending on water underground for shallow tube wells.

Almendares said some farmers planted early this time because of the early rains and they are now fazed by sudden absence of rain in the rainfed areas.

IMPACT
ON FISHERY

In a related development, about 516 hectares of fishponds are feared affected by the lack of rain during this supposed rainy season, according to the regional director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Nestor Domenden, BFAR regional director for the Ilocos region, told local newsmen that unless the dryspell ends, damages to irrigated and rainfed freshwater ponds will worsen.

He, however, could not say how much had been lost in fish production even as he maintained that despite this abnormal weather situation, the entire production is only minimally affected since the biggest contributor to fish production in region 1 comes from marine cages which total about 80 to 82 percent for  aquaculture production.

For the 516 hectares affected, he said this amounts to just 760 tons of fish.

But he added that if the extended dry spell continues, about 707 hectares in the Ilocos region will be affected. Of this number, he said 70 hectares are in Ilocos Norte, more than 60 hectares in Ilocos Sur, about 40 in La Union and the biggest bulk from Pangasinan, which is the biggest province in the region.–LM

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments